About Us

Philip James is one of Manchester’s largest independent property specialists, managing and selling assets worth over £1.15bn. The business was established in 2001 and has many divisions dedicated to Management, Lettings, Sales and developments, Finance and Block Management.

Philip James is an ambitious and entrepreneurial business who work with investors from all over the world, including the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Our property services drive results, achieve sustainable income and a positive return on investment for all stakeholders.

Why are we successful?

We are owned and run by Directors and Executives Philip Nolan, Rob Kennedy and Rob Cuffe, all of whom are invested in the continued growth and development of our organisation.

Our leadership team are professionals within the property and financial services section. Their skillsets complement each other in order to deliver at exceptionally high standards.

Our Mission Statement:

“To deliver an outstanding service through market-leading expertise whilst helping customers achieve their property and financial goals”.

Our Core Values:

Respect – We treat people with courtesy, politeness and respect the collective power of teamwork.
Entrepreneurial – We encourage creative, flexibility and innovative approaches to work.
Accountability – We take ownership and are accountable for our actions.
Customer Satisfaction – Our employees treat customer satisfaction as a top priority.
Honesty – Our business operates professionally, and is built on trust and integrity.

Introducing the Management Team

Philip Nolan

Philip trained as a chartered accountant in Dublin. His first appointment was as financial director of International Translation and Publishing, an international IT company. He helped expand the company into 15 new countries, increasing turnover to over £20 million before facilitating the sale to an investment house in 1999. At the turn of the millennium, Philip moved into property with the purchase of a Manchester property portfolio. He realised there was an opportunity to create a professional independent estate agency that married traditional values with modern technology. Philip’s personal and corporate integrity means he has always understood the value of his staff and has made this a core foundation for the future growth of Philip James.

Rob Kennedy

Rob’s career in property started over 25 years ago when he joined a large corporate agent and successfully ran the Sale Office, followed by the Timperley and Hale office before coming to the hallowed turf of Didsbury in 1998. Under Rob’s leadership, each officer was transformed into a top performing office.

Rob craved the freedom of his own business to practice his own style of estate agency, forming Philip James Kennedy in 2003 and becoming a shareholder in Philip James Partnership Ltd. Thanks to his experience in Sales and Development the business has gone from strength to strength; building long-standing relationships and remaining a truly independent local estate agent group.

Rob Cuffe

Property is Rob’s passion: for the past 20 years he has been selling and letting properties in Manchester City Centre, Salford Quays and the surrounding areas. Rob has built a very successful team that shares his drive and determination to always offer excellent customer service, whilst ensuring that the best possible price is achieved for clients, and in the shortest time frame. Rob believes that the key to being market leader is down to constantly changing with the times and the market and always staying one step ahead of the competition.

Neil Ryder

Neil Ryder has been with Philip James for 13 years. He started as assistant manager in the Withington branch and then took over management of both the Withington and Didsbury lettings branches in 2010. Neil now heads up the Property Investments and New Business Divisions.

Trish Atkinson

Trisha has worked within the Philip James Property Management department for 20 years and has grown with the company since leaving University. Trisha is trained in all specialties of property management and has a vast amount of knowledge and understanding in this field of the business having been so hands-on. She has contributed to the company’s growth over the years by delivering excellent customer service to all our landlords and tenants and now managing a team who pride themselves in customer service.

Franca Carbone

Franca’s career in the property sector has covered roles in South Manchester, the City Centre and the Tameside area of Manchester. Franca is a specialist when it comes to the property market in Denton, she has been the Area Manager for over 10 years at Philip James. Franca’s knowledge of the area is second to none as she grew up and went to school in Denton and it is also where she still resides with her own family.

Keir Dawson

Keir joined Philip James in 2020. His career has encompassed management roles in social housing and local government, as well as several years managing the property management team for another major Manchester agent. He is focused on providing excellent customer service for landlords and tenants.

Martin Elliott

Martin has been working within Estate Agency for the past 20 years. He has worked for Independents, Online and Corporate Agents. Most of Martin’s experience has been within or around Manchester. He looks to provide the best possible advice to achieve the best possible price for his clients. He treats people in the way he would want to be treated. When Martin is not glued to his laptop or telephone, he is either throwing himself into high intensity training through the week, trying to relax with books and music or walking with his partner and dog Masha.

James Woolley

James is a property enthusiast who has worked in property sales and lettings for over 7 years. Having grown up in France, James moved to Manchester 8 years ago and never looked back. James specialises in South Manchester and the City Centre where he lives, he has worked in both areas for many years now.
After many years working for Philip James, James became the Lettings manager early 2023, he is dedicated to giving people a happy smooth experience as finding a new home should be.

Ben Potts

Ben started with Philip James in 2015 after working as Management Accountant for Peel Holdings for a number of years. He brings over 20 years of accounting experience, and now heads up the Finance department. Through his analytical approach and expertise, Ben has brought a number of reporting models into play that help the management team make quick and accurate decisions across all areas of the business.

Chloe Hay

Chloe is a property professional with vast experience in property management, block management, operations and building successful teams. Chloe was appointed in the business in early 2022 and works to assist business growth, ensuring we optimise our strengths to the beneficiary of our clients, and team.

Chloe’s main driving force is continuous improvement and striving for excellence in our services. She advocates for our core company values and is passionate about all aspects property.